We Already Know what We Want

I was doing work for my internship last Thursday and found myself at the New Balance store in the Thruway Shopping Center on Stratford Road. I was setting up a small display with rack cards and coupons for the UNCSA Nutcracker Ballet downtown when two ladies walked into the store. They appeared as if they were in their 60s, and they meant business.

One of the floor salesmen greeted them and asked if they needed any help. One of the ladies, already wearing New Balance I might add, replied, “Hi, 846 wide, size 10, black”. That was it. The man and I were both surprised by her response, but I guess it was all she really needed to say. He said “wow, alright then”, let out a little laugh, and went into the backroom without wasting anymore of her time to find her the pair of shoes. How could anyone anticipate a customer knowing the exact product specifications like she did? I wouldn’t put it past her if she knew the exact SKU and I’m honestly surprised that she didn’t go back there herself to grab it. Had she memorized the bar code too?

I noticed a few things during this extremely brief and interesting observational experience. She may be a very busy lady that likes to get things done. She may have an extremely regimented schedule that needs to be followed in a timely and efficient manner. Both could very well be true, but I don’t think either of these explain her behavior, or what I believe that behavior might ultimately symbolize. I realized two trends through this example, neither of which are revolutionary or ground breaking, but provide support for current themes in consumer behavior.

More and more consumers are doing their homework even before setting foot in the store. People are going to the store more to buy something in particular, than to browse and figure out what they might want or actually need. Consumers are becoming more involved than ever in their purchasing decisions. The advent and growth of the internet, including social media, has contributed to this more than anything else and we are seeing its affects on consumers now, even in the older and less technologically advanced generations. People are looking to online reviews by fellow consumers to learn what they need to know, the positives and negatives, the benefits and the problems. They aren’t looking to commercials or traditional advertising to understand how a product works. Online recommendations are powerful, and it shows that people trust real people over companies. Data from Nielsen’s Global Online Consumer Survey reveals that 90% of consumers online trust recommendations from people that they know, with 70% trusting the opinions posted online by unknown users.

Traditional advertising is still powerful and necessary, and point of purchase displays are equally as important. Consumers are changing however. They do more research, read more reviews and opinions, expect more, and know competitor’s prices before they walk into a store. Going to a store without any intent on purchasing a specific item can be fun, it can be appealing as a shopping and browsing experience. Many now have smartphones, they need to multitask 24/7, and have a daily to do list longer that is so exhaustive it has no chance of being completed. The modern consumer, holiday shopping and some exceptions aside, values their leisure time and like to get what they need, and be in and out as fast as possible. The internet has certainly proved to be a useful tool in this regard, and it will be interesting to see how consumer behavior continues to evolve.

The second observation I had, was the power of brand loyalty, especially with older generations. Brand loyalty is powerful, the aspiration and goal of any company, and is sought after for a reason. The women was wearing New Balance shoes, different that the ones she purchased, and must have been satisfied to stick with the company especially when there are thousands of other shoes and selections to choose from. Although any consumer, young or old, can fall in love with a brand, I have noticed brand loyalty more so in older generations, as this example happens to support.

I feel like the mentality of older generations is more risk averse than average, and encompassed by the cliché phrase, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Other younger people and I have the rest of our lives ahead of us to try new brands and develop a sense of attachment. My parents buy the same brands over and over again. They buy products that their parents trusted, and it has inevitably rubbed off on me. When I needed to buy shoes to go with my suit last year, my dad insisted on looking at Johnston and Murphy for a pair. I had never heard of the brand and knew there that it would be useless to argue. The renowned shoe company was founded in 1850 in Newark, NJ. My dad grew up not far from Newark, and I found out, not surprisingly, that he and his dad had always been Johnston and Murphy regulars. They hooked my grandfather, then my dad, and possibly me as well. Just one personal example, but it represents a very true and common phenomenon.

-Daniel Pogoda is a senior Business & Enterprise Management major with a concentration in Marketing and a Psychology minor.